Four Easy Ways to Make Your Smartphone Videos Look More Professional

As much as I’d love for you guys to keep paying me to make your videos for you, I know that’s not a feasible option for everyone. Besides, my ads take time to make and sometimes you need the immediacy of a smartphone video. So if you think I would hold it against you to upload your clip of the day, think again. But if you’re going to be recording your own videos, it would help to know a thing or two about doing it the right way. So here are four easy ways to improve the quality of your smartphone videos.

1. Stabilize Your Camera

A telltale sign of an amateur cameraman is poor stabilization. It’s a shame something so easily corrected is so often overlooked. Whether you use a tripod or a stack of books, having a steady shot almost always makes it easier for your audience to follow what’s happening on screen. If you happen to be recording a live event and don’t always carry a stabilizing rig like I do, you can still stabilize a bit by holding the phone with both hands and tucking your elbows against your ribs. You can also lean against a wall or tree if they’re nearby for added support. Different situations may require that you take different steps to stabilize. But it always pays off to take the extra time to do it.

2. Avoid Poorly Lit Areas

Have you ever taken a selfie to send to your boo right before bed and noticed it looked a little grainy? Well that’s called noise, and it’s a cameraman’s worst enemy. Noise happens when your camera’s light receptors aren’t receiving enough light. The reason we bring in those blindingly bright lights on a shoot is to avoid noise at all costs. As you may have already noticed, a noisy image looks less sharp than one taken in good light. The same applies to your videos. So whenever possible, try to shoot in areas with tons of even lighting. If you are in an area where there is only one source of light, your best bet would be to position yourself so that the light is hitting your subject head on. It’s not an ideal situation, but it’ll do in a pinch.

3. Know What You’re Going to Say Before Recording.

Having a script can help you avoid redundancy. You don’t want to bore your audience by repeating yourself over and over again when a thirty second video will do. So make sure you have an idea of what you’re going to say before you hit that record button. Also, try to ensure you stay on topic. People have short attention spans these days and if you say the wrong thing you may lose your audience before you deliver your message.

4. Keep an Eye on Sound.

The quality of your sound is far more important than you may realize. Chances are you won’t get great sound using your smartphone alone, because the key to good sound is microphone proximity. But if you can avoid hard, reflective surfaces like hardwood floors and empty rooms you’ll have much better sound than if you don’t. Also, this may go without saying but make sure you pay attention to the noise level of your recording space. If you’re recording yourself in a quiet setting, investing in a lavalier microphone might be one of the smartest things you could do. You can easily find a decent quality one for around $20 or less online.

If you apply these principles next time you need a quick snippet for your business page you’ll see a great improvement in the quality of your videos. But remember, this will only make your video look more professional, you still need to have killer content to engage your audience. CONTENT IS KING!!! No matter how good something looks, it won’t help you if your content is no good. So be sure to give some thought to that as well. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me at any time. And if you need the best quality and content for your business, contact us for a quote, it’s more affordable than you think. Until next time!